“Wastewater Woman” Joins the Fight Against Grease, Wipes and Unwanted Meds

Something as simple as flushing the toilet can cause big problems. Just ask your local wastewater treatment plant worker. Staff at the wastewater treatment plants managed by Sonoma Water face a continuous battle against fats, oil and grease, so-called flushable wipes, and unwanted medications – all things that should never be flushed down the toilet or washed down the drain. When these items are improperly disposed of, they cause sewer backups, damage equipment, and pollute our water.

Who better to come to their aid than a cartoon super-hero armed with a hard hat, cape and compelling message? Enter, Wastewater Woman, whose mission is “fighting the good fight for proper disposal.” Wastewater Woman’s image will be featured in a series of social media and newspaper ads with three main messages:

• Grease Down the Drain? What a Pain!
• Flushable Wipe? No Such Type!
• Dispose of Unwanted Meds Properly! Not Down the Toilet

The ads will be placed on Facebook, Twitter, and local newspapers, and direct readers to the www.sonomawater.org/PollutionPrevention web page for information about proper disposal of these items.

The Wastewater Woman ads, while applicable to any wastewater system, will be targeted to two service areas where problems occur most frequently: The Russian River County Sanitation District (serving the River area, including Rio Nido, Guerneville, and Vacation Beach) and the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (serving the Sonoma Valley from the city of Sonoma to Glen Ellen).

“Our treatment plants and collection systems are constantly battling the improper disposal of these items,” said Sonoma Water Director Lynda Hopkins, who also serves as a director for the Russian River County Sanitation District. “Fats and oils, so-called flushable wipes and unused medications pollute our water and create costly problems with treatment systems. We should all pay attention to Wastewater Woman’s messages.”

“We hope that by highlighting a serious problem in a playful way we can convey a message that connects with a larger audience,” Sonoma Water Director Susan Gorin, who also serves as a director of the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District. “Wastewater treatment is not the most glamorous of services, but it is essential and critical to the health of our communities. We all need to pitch in to keep the systems working efficiently.”

For hi-resolution images of the Wastewater Woman messages, contact: Barry Dugan at barry.dugan@scwa.ca.gov

For more information about Pollution Prevention, visit: www.sonomawater.org/PollutionPrevention